Pole talk - Rimfors bamboo ski poles

23 December, 202224 December, 2022Pole talk

Durable ski touring poles for backcountry and hunting

Rimfors ski touring poles of bamboo with Åsnes' backcountry model Nansen.

Three years have passed since I built my first bamboo ski poles. During all this time, I have only promoted alpine ski […]

31 July, 202225 May, 2024Pole talk

DIY: How to make grip extensions for touring ski poles

Bamboo ski poles with extended grip from wound bark tanned reindeer hide.

Many skiers prefer poles with grip extensions. Especially when going backcountry ski touring. Extra grip area can sometimes be practical, uphill as […]

2 January, 202221 April, 2023Pole talk

Mr Swix and almost a million bamboo ski poles a year

Bamboo ski pole production at the Swix/Liljedahl's pole factory in Lillehammer, 1976. The following year, 900,000 pairs of ski poles were made from Tonkin bamboo. Here you can see how the bamboo was fed into the ovens from the back.

He is sometimes called “Mr Swix”. Harald Bjerke is the one who has worked the longest at the company, 50 years, and […]

23 October, 202125 May, 2024Pole talk

Old ski poles become like new—a DIY guide to restore bamboo poles

Snickarbänk med läderdelar, verktyg och skidstavar av bambu.

C like in century. Next year will be a hundred years since the polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace […]

28 September, 202116 April, 2024Pole talk

Upgraded ski pole ferrules firmly bite the bamboo

Aluminum ski pole ferrules and Calcutta bamboo.

As we were skiing in Borgafjäll last winter, suddenly my friend lost his basket. It was the ski pole ferrule that came […]

7 August, 202111 December, 2023Pole talk

The super bamboo has arrived—the man behind the bamboo tells his story

* At last, the long-awaited delivery with super bamboo has arrived after its long boat trip from the Orient. I have been […]

31 March, 202125 September, 2023Pole talk

The super bamboo from India: “iron bamboo”

The first ski poles made of solid Calcutta bamboo must of course be tested in the Rimfors run in Riksgränsen.

Suddenly I step on my own pole, with full boot power right above the basket. The bamboo cracks! Shit happens, I think […]

7 March, 202124 September, 2023Pole talk

Bamboo brotherhood in Borga—with a ski legend without poles

The Borga bamboo ski pole! Made at Borgagården by Joakim Engwall and Pancho Snöfall.

Two poles. One pole. Or no poles at all. Some historians believe that the pole is older than the ski. But apparently […]

27 February, 202124 September, 2023Pole talk

Oops! Off goes the tip and basket

Fabian Rimfors with bamboo ski poles in Borgafjäll. Photo: Andreas Hillergren

Recently I was with my family and friends in Borgafjäll. In my eyes it’s one of the best and most versatile ski […]

24 January, 202123 September, 2023Pole talk

Help protect our winters!

POW's graphics that were used during the World Championships in Åre 2019 to illustrate what the future winters in the immediate area may look like depending on how much warmer our planet becomes. An increase in Jämtland County by +4°C compared to the pre-industrial average temperature would mean just over a three-month season for Åre. If we manage to limit the increase to +2°C, we can enjoy a five-month ski season in Åre. Based on data from SMHI and the IPCC's climate scenario.

I grew up 200 meters from a ski slope where I could start the lift myself as soon as we had enough […]